With improvements in solar technology throughout the past decade, more homeowners are considering adding solar panels to their roofs. While it seems like a great idea if you live in a sunny climate, homeowners often wonder what will happen to this solar solution when it rains and snows. Learn the facts about using solar all year round, regardless of fluctuating weather conditions.

1. Solar power sounds so good.
It’s green and cost-effective and improves home values.
SUMMER
HIGH TEMPERATURES
Power levels could drop, but decrease typically is unnoticeable
until triple-digit temperatures are reached. While heat increases
current, voltage is lowered enough to offset it.
HUMIDITY
Studies show humidity reduces output even more than climbing
temperatures alone. The good news is that if it is persistently
humid, it’s generally a sunny region to begin with.
FALL
WIND
Most solar panels are designed to withstand winds of 90 mph
or more, but having a system mounted properly is critical.
Wind can be beneficial when it cools the air — and the
solar cells’ operating temperature along with it.
CLOUDS/FOG
The sun is “shining” even on cloudy days, or it would not be light
out. Some light still reaches panels, which absorb both direct and
diffused light. A cloudy day is immaterial compared with the
amount of sun that reaches a panel on average per year.
WINTER
LOW TEMPERATURES
The performance of solar panels in winter depends on location.
Low temperatures are best for solar panel power production,
but near the North and South poles, there is less direct
sunlight because of the sun’s lower angle.
SNOW
In snowy areas, panels are installed with more tilt to maximize
sunlight reception. Also, even a little sunlight should warm the
panels enough for snow to melt or slide off. Snow also
can increase the amount of reflected light reaching a panel.
Micro-inverters allow individual panels to convert current
when one or more panels are snow-covered.
SHORTER DAYS
When daylight hours decrease and the sun is
not at an optimal angle, output will suffer. Solar tracking
(panels move to track the sun) can offset the difference.
Even during the winter, however, there is enough sunlight to
power the average American home.
SPRING
RAIN
When it comes to a solar panel, rain isn’t entirely bad. Rain does
limit the sun’s strength, but also washes away dirt/bird
droppings. Critical panel parts are protected in waterproof housing.
HAIL STORMS
Solar panel hail damage is rare, as panels are built
to last about 25 years. Standards set by an international
commission call for panels to be able to take the impact of
1-inch hailstones crashing into them at 50 mph. Most panels
are tilted, so they do not take the impact directly anyway.
LIGHTNING
Electrical surges can be prevented when a system is
properly grounded, which is especially critical in regions
where lightning strikes are not uncommon.
Number of homebuilders and remodelers that expect to be using
solar photovoltaic technologies by 2018
Source: Dodge Data & Analytics study cited at
http://www.nahb.org/en/news-and-publications/press-releases/2015/november/new-study-suggests-strong-outlook-for-green-homes.aspx
AIR DENSITY
Solar power is more efficient in
the thin air at high altitudes.
“Thicker”air diffuses more sunlight.
POLLUTION
Sunlight is diffused by pollution,
so the sun’s strength will decrease
in highly polluted regions.
OTHER CONDITIONS
Hose off panels
if it hasn’t
rained recently
Professional
installation will
reduce future
maintenance
Eliminate tree
limbs, etc.,
that could
damage panels
Keep track
of how
panels perform
MAINTENANCE TIPS
BROUGHT TO YOU
BY YOUR FRIENDS AT:
www.renewableenergysolar.net
Take a look at these facts about
using solar power year-round.